News Digest: Week of September 28

September 28

Diplomacy: Iran pushed for an immediate ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan after fighting erupted over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif urged his Azeri and Armenian counterparts to exercise restraint during phone calls on Sunday. 

Economy: A Iranian tanker, Forest, entered Venezuelan waters carrying hundreds of thousands of barrels of petroleum products. The tanker was the first of three oil-carrying vessels scheduled to arrive in Venezuela within days of one another. 

Health: Iran recorded 190 new deaths from COVID-19 with 4,068 patients in critical condition. 

 

September 29

Health: Iran's coronavirus cases exceeded 450,000, while the death toll reached nearly 26,000.
September 30

Security: Saudi Arabia claimed that it dismantled a terrorist cell linked to the Revolutionary Guards. Saudi authorities arrested 10 people whom it claimed had received military training from the IRGC. 

 

September 30

Economy: A second Iranian tanker, Fortune, arrived in Venezuela this week. The vessel carried 272,000 barrels of fuel for Venezuela's state-run oil and gas company. A third tanker, Faxon, was expected to arrive in Venezuela later in the week with 820,000 barrels of petroleum products. 

Nuclear: The International Atomic Energy Agency inspected an undeclared nuclear site in Iran. The site was the second of two where the U.N. watchdog believed Iran had stored or used undeclared nuclear material.